Bumps In The Road
by Aonami
Summary: They were bound to encounter some bumps in their relationship, right?
1. Thunderstorms

** A/N:** Hi there! Just thought I'd get to publishing another one-shot since Summer holidays are almost here and all :)

Admittedly, I was aiming for something completely different when I wrote this, but I like the way it turned out.

Anyways, you may argue that either Percy or Annabeth are OOC but I believe that, someway or another, they are bound to encounter some sort of bump in their relationship.

I was playing with the idea of making this more than a one-shot, but I'm not sure; so if you want a sort of sequel, please leave a comment asking me to do so!

Constructive criticism and reviews are always welcome since they help me become a better writer! Keep that in mind ;)

** Disclaimer:** I own nothing, it is all Rick Riordan's :(

* * *

Rain was something Percy loved. It was always calming and soothing to hear the pitter-patter of raindrops falling on the roof or the ground outside and even more so if he was standing in it. The refreshing slide of sweet water against his warm skin worked wonders.

Thunderstorms were even better. The crackling and booming of thunder coupled with brief flashes of lightening and pouring rain was always a nice change from the soft downfall of raindrops. Percy loved to stay inside on those days and just laze around, listening to what may or may not be one of Zeus's temper tantrums. It was actually quite amusing to think about what the short-tempered god might be fussing about. But the most wonderful thing Percy could associate with thunderstorms was that he slept best when they occurred.

And boy did he ever need to hear the calming zaps of electricity right now.

Percy let out a small puff of air, rolling on his side to face the door to his room. A flash of lightning was seen and soon after a rumble of thunder. The dark-haired teen sighed and shifted in his bed.

He and Annabeth were having problems. It was like every little thing he did got on her nerves and lately, and Percy was beginning to have had enough. He hated what was happening and wanted it to stop so badly, but he just couldn't find a single plausible reason why it _was _happening. It wasn't like he was a bad boyfriend – hell, he was a great one! – but there was just some unspoken and unseen cause behind it all and it was bugging him to no end that he couldn't figure it out.

Percy was so wound up and nervous all the time that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in days. He was actually happy that he was back at home with his mom instead of being at camp, pointedly ignoring the irritated sighs and huffs that escaped his girlfriend's lips now and then.

He had tried to talk to somebody about it, but it was worrying him too much that if someone would say it was over between him and Annabeth, he'd agree and break up with her.

Nothing was helping; even the thunderstorm wasn't calming him down.

A frustrated sigh escaped passed his lips and he rolled onto his back, glaring at the roof. The heavy downfall of rain caught his attention and the teen shifted his gaze to the window. Another flash of lightning was seen. "One… two… three… four… five… six… se-" Percy counted under his breath until a clap of thunder boomed. He clucked his tongue and crossed his arms, placing them under his head. It was abnormally cold for New York this time of year, and Percy blamed Zeus; the king of the gods was probably still angry over the war with Gaea.

Annabeth crossed his mind and a sour expression adorned his face. He rolled onto his side, clutching his pillow tightly. Their last conversation resounded in his mind and he did his best to ignore it, clutching his pillow tighter and closing his eyes.

_"The next you see me, Perseus Jackson, you better apologize."Annabeth warned in a dangerous tone. Her boyfriend narrowed his eyes and placed his hands on his hips, calling out to her as she walked away:_

_ "Oh yeah?! Well we'll see about that!" He got no response._

_ Percy let out a frustrated sigh, clenching and unclenching his hands. "I'll apologize when she tells me what's wrong with her." He muttered bitterly, turning on his heel and heading to his cabin._

Percy sighed irritably and shifted once more in his bed. "Why should I have to apologize?" He wondered aloud, mumbling in a soft voice. His eyebrows furrowed as another boom was heard.

Their fights started swirling in his head, yells and shouts of frustration, irritation and anger steadily becoming louder and louder until it was all just a jumbled mess; white noise and unintelligible arguments. Percy let out a strangled grunt of frustration and threw his pillow at his door, glaring at it bitterly.

_ "You never listen to me anymore!" Annabeth half-yelled, half-screamed. Her face was red in anger and her ponytail was disheveled and messy._

_ Percy did a double take, realizing what she had just said. A heated glare twisted his features. "What are you talking about, Annabeth?!" He asked. His girlfriend laughed bitterly before pointing at him accusatorily._

_ "You're always off doing something, Percy! You're either off to the Roman camp, seeing if everything is in order and if the Greeks aren't at the Roman's throats or helping people you don't even know, or off on meaningless quests which could be done by anybody! It's never just you and me anymore, Percy; you never make time for me anymore!"_

_ The teenage boy stopped, not believing what he was hearing. "What do you mean I never make time for you?! I blow my friends off most days just to have some quality time with you! Sure, I go to the other camp sometimes, but most of those times you come with me!" He yelled. Annabeth went to say something, but he cut her off with a sentence that made her go red with rage. "You're being selfish."_

Another cackle of thunder sounded after a bolt of lightning lit up Percy's room. The mentioned teen clenched and unclenched his fists in the soft fabric of his comforter as a wave of anger washed over him.

The rift between him and Annabeth had become so big that they couldn't even hang out with their mutual friends together.

Percy hated feeling this way; the confusion and anger and sadness and overall helplessness that came with fighting with Annabeth. It wasn't a pleasant mixture, not at all.


	2. Rainy Days

** A/N:** Hey there! I'm back with another chapter! Anywho, this story is a two-shot, so no more. Also, thank you to the people who reviewed, favorited and followed!

I always appreciate reviews and constructive criticism, so if you find anything wrong (grammar, stupid phrase, etc...) let me know!

** Disclaimer:** If I had written the books I wouldn't be on **_FAN_**fiction, would I?

* * *

Annabeth couldn't sleep; she hadn't been able to in over two weeks.

It all started with her fights with Percy, which had become more and more frequent with each passing moment they shared together. Frankly, Annabeth was sick and tired of it.

She couldn't even remember the source of it all, why it was happening. One day they were snuggling and looking into each other's eyes with love and compassion, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, they were at each other's throats. Annabeth felt like it was all her fault – after all, she had acted particularly bratty towards Percy after the first fight.

_ Percy sighed irritably, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I don't get what your problem is, Annabeth, I haven't done anything!" He said, waving his hand in the air._

_ Annabeth snorted and crossed her arms. "That's right Percy, you_ never_ do _anything_ – you're _always_ the victim!" She exclaimed, fed up with their bantering._

_ "Don't make me the bad guy here; you were the one that started this argument!" Percy seethed, green eyes flashing with anger and a hint of sadness which Annabeth didn't catch._

_ It was quiet for one, two, three moments before Annabeth hung her head and let out a small puff of air. She looked back up at her boyfriend, shot him a glare, and turned on her heel. She stopped at the doorframe, twisting her head slightly so Percy could see the side of her face. "If you've grown up by dinner, come and talk to me and we can work things out."_

That fight had been about two months ago, and just after Annabeth's troubles with sleeping had started.

Annabeth sighed and sat up in her comfy bed. She rubbed her eyes before standing and shuffling to her father's study; she'd always felt safe and calm in there.

The door opened with only a slight creek and soon she was sitting on the windowsill, watching the rain drops slide down the window.

Annabeth never loved rainy days – they reminded her too much of the times she spent with Thalia and Luke. Those were days where they'd all huddle under a thin, scratchy blanket, seeking warmth and comfort. Yet, no matter how cold it was, they'd all be happy and calm because they had each other.

The young demigod shook her head slightly, closing up the hole in her heart once again. No matter how much time had passed, she couldn't forget those days.

She bit her lower lip and her mind wandered to what brought her to her father's office in the first place.

_ Annabeth glared at the book she had in her hands, as if the old paperback had wronged her in some way. She'd just had another fight with Percy, and this time he'd had the nerve to call her a control-freak._

_ She wasn't a control-freak, not by a long shot, but somehow, while getting caught up in the words exchanged while they fought, she had become some twisted form of herself._

_ Annabeth let out a breath and breathed deeply, trying to calm down. Tomorrow, she'd apologize and everything would go back to normal._

Needless to say, she hadn't said sorry to Percy the following day. No, as soon as she tried talking to him, things escalated and they were fighting once more.

It was hard to control anger while fighting, and, in Annabeth's defense, she had tried hard not to let the negative feelings overcome her once more. But she failed.

_ "You never listen to me anymore!"_ Is what she said, making their conversation turn into another argument.

Annabeth had felt so angry near the end of that fight, right when Percy accused her of being selfish. It takes two to tango, and as far as Annabeth was concerned, she wasn't the only one partaking in their disagreements.

_ Annabeth was trying to keep herself in check, but being called selfish by Percy had hurt. "I am not selfish, Percy." She said, voice strong with anger and hurt._

_ Percy narrowed his eyes just as she was about to leave. "Well you sure are acting like it, Annabeth. I'm trying my best here, but you get mad at me for 'not listening'. How am I supposed to listen when you're yelling at me?" He asked, his voice almost bitter._

_ Annabeth took a sharp breath and clenched one fist. "Well maybe if you just kept your mouth shut while I was trying to speak, you'd know that I was going to apologize for yesterday."_

_ Her boyfriend went silent, and a bud of hope welled in her chest that he'd forgive her. Her hand clasped the doorknob and she turned it after a moment of hesitation, of hanging on to the small bud. But Percy didn't say a thing as she left, and that hurt more than any other insult._

Her heartache throbbed and Annabeth absently brought a hand to her chest. Her stormy eyes glistened a bit with tears and she wiped them away hurriedly.

Suddenly, the door creaked. Annabeth whipped her head to the side and spotted her father. His eyes were tired and she wondered if she had woke him up.

Frederick Chase crossed the room silently and when he reached his daughter, he sat down beside her and placed a hand on her knee. "Why are you up, Annabeth?" He asked.

Annabeth hesitated and considered lying for a brief moment. However, she knew she couldn't and decided to tell the truth. "I'm having some problems with Percy."

Her family loved Percy – and, for the record, so did she – and they trusted him wholeheartedly, but they were protective over her. So when the words slipped out of her mouth, her dad immediately placed an arm around her shoulders. "What happened, honey?" The question was soft, non-prodding and Annabeth relished in the comforting sound of her father's voice before answering.

"We… we're just fighting a lot more." And, when she put it like that, it seemed so simple. She knew it wasn't

Her dad was silent for a few moments. "What do you fight about?"

There was a lull in the conversation. However, Frederick was patient and he knew Annabeth needed some space.

"Small things – y'know, like him going to camp Jupiter and spending more time with other people then with me… we also had an argument about my personality." The last part was said quietly, so quiet Frederick almost didn't catch it.

"…What about your personality, Annabeth?"

Annabeth took a deep breath and let it out in a big whoosh before answering. "He accused me of being a control-freak, and I don't really blame him."

Her dad sighed and tightened his hold around his daughter. "Listen, Annabeth, everybody encounters some sort of obstacle in their relationship – It's just life – so don't get too upset over these fights." He reassured her. Annabeth remained quiet and he sighed once again. "Look at me, Anna." Grey eyes flickered up to look at him and the man smiled. "No matter how compatible or how perfect two people are, their relationship will still find some bumps on the way. You and Percy are happy with each other, I know that, and I don't think some stupid fights over selfishness and jealousy are going to break what you two have with each other."

Annabeth smiled and leaned into her father's chest. She was glad that they had talked, maybe now she could finally sleep. "If you want, Anna, I could take you to New York and you could surprise him." She sighed contentedly and nodded.


	3. Important Author's Note

** Author's Note:**

Hey once again!

I just wanted to put up this A/N to ask you followers if you think I should upload another chapter - even though I said it was a two-shot (but I'm a big pushover, so whatever).

Anyways, if you want me to upload another chapter - or even turn this thing into a full-blown story - just leave a comment and I'll do it.

But, if this should turn into a multi-chapter story, I'd need some time to figure out the plot because I don't really see an interesting plot which would require more than three chapters. However, I was playing with the idea of writing a final chapter in which Annabeth and Percy makeup :)

So, if you'd like at least one more chapter, leave a review! I'm extremely happy with the feedback and it motivates me, so thank you to all you followers!


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